Mechanism for regulating the flame height in a gas lighter

ABSTRACT

A gas lighter having a screw which is employed to perform four functions, namely, securing in position a removable baseplate, permitting the supply of a new flint without removal of the baseplate, replacement of an empty or faulty gas reservoir by a full or properly working one after removal of the baseplate, and regulation of the flame height with the baseplate secured in position.

United States Patent Inventor Robert Raymond Hocq [S61 Relerenees CitedA I N gfs gf UNITED STATES PATENTS l.844.48l 2/1932 Rogers 431/139 F1ledMar. 26. i969 rimmed my 3 2.665.573 1/1954 Spltaln) 431/131 AsslgneeSociete Franoo-Hkpano-Amerkllne M954 Hcpfbum Z 431/139 2.971.361 2/[961Bre1tenste1n.. 43l/l3l X 3017 759 2 I963 01 d'tz 1 1 431/131 1 P i i z99 I a 1 e a 1.

France FOREIGN PATENTS 146.320 864.988 4/196! Great Britain 43 l /l MMECHANISM FOR REGULATING THE FLAME Primary Examiner- Edward J. MichaelAttorney-Curtis. Morris at Safl'ord HEIGHTIN A GAS LIGHTER 9 chhs'7 ms.ABSTRACT: A gas lighter having a screw which is employed US. Cl 43!]131,to perform four functions, namely, securing in position a 43!]254, 43H274. 431/277 removable baseplate, permitting the supply of a new flintInt. Cl. F23q 2/08, without removal of the baseplate, replacement of anempty or F23q 2/16 faulty gas reservoir by a full or properly workingone after Field of Search 43l/l30. removal of the baseplate, andregulation of the flame height 13 l I39. 254. 344 with the baseplatesecured in position.

PATENTEU JUL 1 319m SHEET 2 OF 4 PATENTED JUL 1 3 IQ'ii SHEET u UF 4MECHANISM FOR REGULATING THE FLAME HEIGHT IN A GAS LIGHTER The presentinvention relates to mechanism for regulating the flame height in a gaslighter.

The invention relates more particularly to a special arrangement of theflint tube, which makes it possible to employ a single screw, arrangedin the bottom part of said tube, in order to effect either the exchangeof the flint, the exchange of the reservoir or the regulation of theflame, just as required.

A gas lighter, in accordance with the present invention, includes aflame height regulator, a detachable gas reservoir, an expansion valvecarried by said reservoir, a valve lever pivoting in order to open thevalve element of said valve and to allow the gas to escape, a flintcontained in a flint tube, a flint wheel designed to rub against saidflint in order to produce sparks and ignite the gas leaving the valve,said regulator comprising a single flint screw which i screwed into oneend of the flint tube which extends through the reservoir in gastightfashion and is movable with respect to said reservoir, said flint screwacting to apply the flint against the flint wheel through the medium ofa spring and to fix a detachable base in position and to regulate theflame height as a result of said movement.

In one advantageous embodiment, the flint tube is long and is fixed by abracket between a partition which splits the body of the lighter intotwo portions, and a plate which forms part of a platform carried by thesaid partition. Preferably, the aforementioned plate forming part ofsaid platform is apertured to permit the extension therethrough of thevalve and thereby forms a shoulder with which there cooperates ashoulder on a mobile part of the valve, which part is designed to varythe pressure upon a porous washer trapped between said mobile part and afixed part, so that when the flint screw is operated, the reservoir ismoved en bloc and therefore the fixed part of the valve secured to it,thus altering the compressive pressure exerted upon the porous washer.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, on the flint screw,between its head and the end of the tube which surrounds the flint tube,there are arranged a base, a washerwhich bears against a boss on thedetachable base of the body of the lighter, and a spring washer.

The present invention will now be more particularly described withreference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammaticallyone embodiment of the invention and in which:

FIG. I is a vertical section showing the general arrangement of theelements located in the case of a lighter in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the underside of the lighter, that is, lookingin the direction of the arrow [1 of FIG. I or FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section on the line III-III of FIG. 2, showing thereservoir and the bottom part of the lighter;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are vertical sections, respectively, on the lines IV-IVand V-V of FIG. 1 or FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an elevation sectional view of the platform portion of thepresent invention; and FIG. 7 is a plan view of the platform.

In these drawings, there is illustrated a gas lighter constructed inaccordance with the invention and which has a case comprising a body Iopen at both ends and being rectangular in longitudinal section with theshorter sides thereof in the form of circular arcs whose diametercorresponds to the distance between the long sides (FIG. 2), a cap 2pivotable in relation to the body I, and a baseplate 3 (FIGS. 1 to 3)which is maintained in a seating la therefor at the bottom end of thebody I in a manner which will be described hereinafter. The case isdivided into two portions (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5) by a partition 4 which (asseen in FIG. 1) extends horizontally across the case and which carries aplatform 5. The lower part of the case contains a detachable reservoir 6constituted by a main portion 6a with a base and lateral walls fittinginside said lower part and a top 6b with a peripheral skirt 60, whichskirt is located inside the portion 6a and is soldered in position. Thistop is shaped as at 7 to define an opening (FIG. 5) for the location ofa valve 8 equipped with a wick 9 (FIG. I, 3 and 5) which is located inthe reservoir 6, and with a burner valve comprising a rod 10 and a head11 (FIGS. 1 and 5). A pivotally mounted valve lever 12 (FIGS. 1, 4 and5) has a forked end 12a which engages the rod 10 beneath the head 11 (asseen in FIG. 5) in order to lift said head and allow the gas to passthrough said valve when the user lifts the cap 2 and thereby causes saidlever 12 to pivot about its pivot pin 14. A spring 13 (FIG. 4)surrounding the pivot pin 14 urges said lever 12 downwards into aposition in which its forked end 12a is disengaged from the head I I ofthe burner and the lever 12 is automatically raised, when the cap 2 islifted, by a roller 15 (FIG. 4) carried on a spindle 16 in a mannerwhich will be described hereinafter.

The cap 2 comprises a top 2a and a peripheral skirt 2b and is pivotallyattached to the body I by a conventional kind of hinge comprising ablock 17 fixed to the cap 2 (FIG. 1). One end I9 of each of two links 18is pivotally secured to the block I7 and the other end 20 of each ofsaid links is connected to one end of a link 21 whose other end isarticulated to the spindle 16. The joint between the respective ends ofthe links 20, 2I is adapted to move in an elongated rectilinear slot 22formed in the platform 5. the latter being made up of two horizontalplates 5a, 5b and two vertical cheek plates 5c connected together by avertical portion 5d (FIGS. 1, 4-7), whilst the spindle 16 is adapted tomove in elongated arcuate slots 23 in a toothed sector 24 having twoarms 24a, 24b (FIG. 4) and arranged to pivot about a pivot pin 25, saidsector being in constant mesh with a gear 26 fixed to a composite driver27, 28 in which a flint wheel 29 is fixed. Said driver pivots in anopening 30 formed in the top plate 5a of the platform 5, and contains abore 31 through which extends the upper end of a flint tube 32containing a flint 33 and also the upper end of said flint which bearsagainst the flint wheel 29 (FIGS. 1 and 4).

The flint tube 32 constitutes one of the features of the presentinvention and is very long and extends over virtually the full height ofthe body 1 of the lighter as can be clearly seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. Saidtube 32 is fixed centrally by a collar 32a (FIG. 4) in a counterbore 34aformed in a bore 34 in the bottom plateSb of the platform 5 and extendsthrough the reservoir 6 within a tube 35 which is soldered in gastightfa on to the top and bottom of said reservoir, said collar 32a beingheld between said partition 4 and said platform 5 which are connected toone another by a screw (see FIG. 5). Furthermore, the bottom end of saidtube 32 is threaded in order 0 coact with a flint screw 36 (FIG. 3) thetop face of which acts as a seating for a flint spring 37 (FIGS. 1, 3and 4) which forces the flint 33 against the flint wheel 29, and whosehead 36a is located in a bore 38 (FIG. 1 in the baseplate 3 of thelighter body (FIGS. 2 and 3). Said bore 38 is extended, inwa..1ly of thelighter body 1, by an annular boss 34 which is integral with saidbaseplate 3 and which contains an opening 380 for the extensiontherethrough of the screw 36 and the head 39a of a ring 39 which isslipped over said screw 36 and which bears against the bottom end of thetube 35, said bottom end projecting downwardly slightly below the levelof the base of the reservoir 6, and said opening 38a being coaxial withthe bore 38. A base washer 40 slipped over the stem of the base 39 bearsagainst that part of the boss 3a which defines the opening 380 (see FIG.3) and a thrust washer 41, for example, a spring washer or Bellevillewasher, is arranged between the head 36a of the flint screw and thewasher 40. Said thrust washer 41 helps to keep the baseplate 3 inposition in its seat Ia at the bottom end of body I, and its loading iscalculated so that the head 36a is exactly flush with the bottom face(external face) of the baseplate 3. However, at the same time, it leavesthe flint screw 36 and its base 39 entirely free for rotation about itsaxis of rotation.

The spring 37, because of its substantial length, is centered at itsbottom end by an upwardly extending spigot 36b of the screw 36 (FIG. 3).In addition, the flint 33 does not bear directly against the oppositeend of the spring, but rests against the top surface of a head 43 saidhead being extended downwardly to form a downwardly extending spigot 43awhich centers the upper end of the spring (FIG. 3). The head 36a of thescrew has a groove'44 therein (FIGS. 2 and 3) in order to enable asuitable tool (for example the edge of a coin) to be inserted for thepurpose of rotating the screw about said axis in order to regulate theflame height in the manner hereinafter described.

The valve 8 is of the conventional kind and does not in itself form partof the present invention. Accordingly, only those essential elementsthereof which are necessary to an understanding of its operation will bedescribed. Said valve is located, as will be seen hereinafter, in anopening 45 in the bottom plate 5b of the platform 5 and in an opening 46of the partition 4. As FIG. s shows, the body 8a of the valve is fixedin the opening which is formed in the top 6b of the reservoir 6 (forexample by soldering) and contains a wick carrier 47 which acts as athrust or compressing device and around which the wick 9 is wrapped inorder to bring said wick into contact with a porous washer 48 (made, forexample, of blotting paper) which is located at or in contact with the.un-

derside (as seen in FIG. 5) of an inverted gas check ring 49.

Said ring 49 is capable of sliding axially in the body 8a through themedium of a seal 50 and under the action ofa regulating sleeve 8b whichhas an annular shoulder 8c.

The wick carrier 4'7 is fixed and therefore the degree of compression ofthe porous washer 48 can be arbitrarily regulated by moving the ring 49closer to or moving it away from the wick carrier, that is to say, bydisplacing the sleeve 8b axially of the body 8a.

The opening 45 in the plate 5b has a special profile which is shown inFIG. 5. It is not centered on an axis perpendicular to the plane of theplate 517, but instead has an oblique wall which gives the valve 8 acertain degree of tilt as shown in FIG. 5. This wall has three sections45a, 45b, 45c which define between them shoulders; of which one shoulder45d is in contact in the assembled condition of the mechanism with thetop face of the shoulder 8c, thus acting as a stop when the reservoir 6is assembled in the case of the lighter. Accordingly, if the screw 36were to be screwed into the tube 32 to a greater or lesser extent, thereservoir 6 would rise or descend since the head 39a of the ring 39 isconstantly in contact with the end of the tube 35 soldered to thereservoir. Since the shoulder 8c is up against the shoulder 45d, if thereservoir 6 and therefore the valve 8 is lifted by rotating the screw 36in, say, a clockwise direction, the porous washer 48 will be furthercompressed since the sleeve 8b cannot shift. Conversely, if thereservoir is lowered by rotating the screw 36 in an anticlockwisedirection, the degree of compression of the washer 48 is reduced. It is,therefore, easy to adjust the flame to the desired height simply byrotating the screw 36 in the appropriate direction of rotation.

The general mode of operation of the lighter will now be given:

When the cap 2 of the lighter is open, springs which were .tensioned inthe closed condition bear against pivot 20 of the links I8 and thrustsaid links into their position of maximum opening, as illustrated inbroken lines in FIG. 1.

However, since the link 21 is articulated at one end 20 thereof to thelinks 18, and at the other end thereof to the spindle 16 which can movein the curved slot 23, the movement of the pivot 20 displaces thespindle 16 in the said slot 23 into the position shown in broken linesin FIG. I, in which the link 21, almost vertical initially, has assumeda virtually horizontal attitude. This pivoting of the link 21 has tworesults:

On the one hand, the toothed sector 24 pivots about its fulcrum pin 25(see FIGS. 1 and 4) under the action of the spindle 16 moving along theslot 23, and thus moving the sector 24 and its two arms 24a and 24b totheir dotted line position illustrated in FIG. I. This movement ofsector 24 causes the gear 26 to rotate, since the teeth of these twoelements are constantly in mesh in a generally counterclockwisedirection about the axis 27a of driv r carrier 27, that is, gear 26 andsector 24 move into the page, as seen in FIG. 4, at their point ofengagement, indicated by the numeral 26a in the drawing. Movement ofwhich is gear 26, keyed to the composite driver 27, 28, causes saidcomposite driver to pivot about its axis 27a (FIGS. 1 and 4) the upperportion of driver carrier 27, on which the flint wheel carrier 28 isrotatably mounted (about the axis 28:: which is offset with respect tothe axis 27a) with the result that projects beyond the edge of the bodyof the lighter. In this position, the users thumb can easily actuate theflint wheel carrier 28 to rotate the latter about its axis 280, so thatthe flint wheel 29 rubs against the flint 33 and produces sparks whichexitihorizontally through a suitable opening formed in the compositedriver 27, 28.

On the other hand, the roller 15 carried by the spindle 16, has as aconsequence of the pivoting of the link 21, come into contact with thevalve lever 12 and lifted it, as shown in broken lines in Figure 1,pivoting about the pivot pin- 14 against the action of the spring 13.The rod 10 and its head I l have thus been lifted and gas escaping fromthe reservoir 6 will have been enabled to pass through the head 11 ofthe valve and will have been ignited by the sparks produced by thefriction of the flint against the flint wheel. Since the lifting of thevalve lever 12 is carried out more rapidly, in practice, than thepivoting of the composite driver 27, 28, under the action of the user'sthumb, it is ensured that the gas will have been liberated prior to thestriking of the flint against the flint wheel and the production ofsparks. Experience has shown that ignition is perfect and there is nofailure.

Once the user has lit his cigarette (or generally speaking, after thelighter has been successfully used), the user will return the cap 2 tothe full line position thereof shown in Figure l by means of a finger;this action, associated with the weight of the cap, causes the links 18to swing-back to their dead center position and the toothed sector 26reverts to its rest position. The valve lever 12, helped by the springI3 which has been tensioned by the lifting movement, drops back again,closing the valve element of the valve 8. The downward travel of thepivot 20 tensions the aforementioned springs (not shown). Once the deadcenter position has passed, the pivot 20 is locked in position by thesprings.

In order to exchange the reservoir, the screw 36 is unscrewed and thebaseplate 3 can then easily be withdrawn and the reservoir 6 extracted.During this extracting movement, the valve lever 12, under the effect ofits spring 13, pivots downwards about its pivot pin 14, disengaging thehead I I of the burner. The valve is no longer fixed in position andthereservoir can now be lifted away freely. When the full reservoir isreplaced, the sleeve 81; of the valve lifts the lever 12 into theposition shown in full line in FIG. 1, that is to say, to the positionshown in FIG. 5. The forked end 12a surrounds the stem or neck of theburner, and when the cap 2 is opened, the lever 12 engages with the head11 and lifts it in the manner hereinbefore described.

In order to change the flint, all that is necessary is to unscrew thescrew 36 and introduce a new flint, after temporarily removing thespring 37, and there is'no need to dismantle the base 3 of the lighter.It will be remembered that the flint tube 32 is fixed by its bracket32a, between the partition 4 and the bottom plate 5b of the platform.

Finally, in order to regulate the flame height, it is merely necessaryto adjust the screw 36; by doing this, the porous washer 48 is furthercompressed as hereinbefore described. The porosity reduces and the flametherefore tends to contract. If the screw 36 is unscrewed, however, thewasher 48 is relaxed and therefore the flame height increases.

It will be seen that in accordance with the invention, the flint screw36 fulfills four functions;

1. maintaining the pressure of the spring 37 on the flint 33 in order toapply the same against the flint wheel 29;

2. maintaining the baseplate 3 in the seat la in the body I of thelighter;

3. maintaining the reservoir 6 in position through the medium of thebaseplate 3;

4. regulating the flame height.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. in a gas lighter having an outer casing, a removable gas reservoirwhich is enclosed within said casing and which carries an expansionvalve including fixed and movable parts enclosing a porous washer thecompression of which is adjustable by a relative movement between saidfixed and movable parts in order to regulate the rate of flow of saidcombustible gas through said porous washer, said valve being operable topermit the passage therethrough, from said reservoir of a combustiblegas which is ignitable by sparks produced by the rubbing of a serratedsurface of a flint wheel against a flint, the improvement which consistsin a flint tube extending through said reservoir in a gastight mannerand secured to said outer casing; a spring housed within said flinttube; a flint supported by one end of said spring in such a manner as toprotrude beyond one end of said flint tube into engagement with saidflint wheel; a detachable gas lighter base and annular boss meansdefining an aperture in said base, which aperture is in register withsaid flint tube; a screw thread formed in said flint tube at the endthereof adjacent to said aperture; and a screw having an enlarged head,the diameter of which is larger than that of said aperture, said screwextending through said aperture in said base and engaging the screwthread of said flint tube not only to connect said base to the gaslighter with consequent enclosure of said reservoir but also to compresssaid spring with consequent pressure of said flint against said flintwheel, and said screw being in addition rotatable in said aperture insaid base to cause movement of said reservoir with respect to said flinttube in one of two opposite directions at a time in order to move saidmovable part of the valve with respect to said fixed part for varyingthe compression of said porous washer and thus regulating the rate offlow of said combustible gas through the opened valve and consequentlythe height of the flame.

2. ln a gas lighter as claimed in claim 1, a partition provided withinsaid outer casing; means-defining an aperture in said partition, saidflint tube extending through said aperture; a collar extending radiallyoutwardly of said flint tube, one axially directed face of said collarbeing in contact with said partition around said aperture; and a plateso shaped and-apertured as to overlie said partition and said collar andto encircle said flint tube; whereby said flint tube is fixed withinsaid outer casing.

3. In a gas lighter as claimed in-,-claim 2, means defining a secondaperture in said plate, which second aperture is in register with saidvalve which is carried by said reservoir; said valve having a first partthereof connected to said reservoir and a second part thereof carried bysaid first part, said first and second parts of said valve being movablerelative to one another; means defining a shoulder in said secondaperture; a shoulder on said second part of said valve; a porous elementlocated between said first and second parts of said valve; the

shoulder on said second part of the valve being in engagementwith theshoulder in said second aperture; whereby rotation of said screw tocause said movement of said reservoir in one of two opposite directionsat a time alters the degree of compression of said porous element withresultant regulation of the rate of flow of said combustible gas throughthe opened valve and consequently of the height of theflame.

4. In a gas lighter as claimed in claim 1, a dished portion of said baseconstituting said annular boss means defining said aperture in saidbase, said dished portion creating a concavity in that face of the basewhich in use is outwardly directed, said concavity being of a circularplan configuration and a diameter such as permits accommodation of theenlarged head of said screw said aperture in said base being of adiameter which matches that of the screw-threaded part of said screw; asecond tube extending through and fixed in a gastight manner to saidreservoir, said second tube being of greater inside diameter than theoutside diameter of said flint tube and being concentric with said flinttube; an assembly consisting of a spring washer, a thrust washerand asleeve being disposed around said screw-threaded part of said screw;said sleeve having at one end thereof a portion of greater outsidediameter than that of the remainder of said sleeve; said spring washerand said thrust washer encircling a part of said remainder of saidsleeve with the thrust washer located between said portion of greateroutside diameter and said spring washer; said thrust washer being ofgreater outside diameter than that of said aperture in said base; theother end of said sleeve being in contact with said enlarged head ofsaid screw and said portion of great diameter being in contact with oneend of said second tube; whereby rotation of said screw to increase thedegree of compression of said porous element by moving the reservoiraway from said base results in compression deformation of said springwasher as a consequence of said enlarged head of said screw being drawnaxially towards said thrust washer which is itself drawn axiallyinwardly of the gas lighter against said dished portion of said base. 1

5. A gas lighter which includes a lighter body which is open at bothends, a cap hingedly mounted upon said body at one of said ends, a baseconnected to said body at the other of said ends; means defining anaperture in said base; said lighter body, said cap and said basedefining a cavity; a cavity divider dividing said cavity into two parts;a gas reservoir removably located in one of said two parts of saidcavity; an expansion valve having a first part thereof connected to saidreservoir and having a second part thereof carried by said first part;said first and second parts of said valve being movable relative to oneanother; said second lever-operated element movable in one direction ofmovement thereof to permit the passage of gas through said valve fromsaid reservoir; means in said cavity divider defining an aperture and anabutment; said second part of said valve extending into and through saidaperture and also engaging said abutment; spark-producing meansincluding a flint and a serrated surface on a flint wheel; a flint tubeand spring means therein, said spring means acting when compressed topress said flint into engagement with said serrated surface in thevicinity of one end of said tube; said flint tube extending through saidreservoir in a gastight manner; and a single screw-threaded deviceengaged with and extending into the other end of said tube and therebyconnecting said base to said body and thereby also enclosing andmaintaining said reservoir within said one of said two parts of thecavity and thereby also compressing said spring means to press saidflint against said serrated surface, rotation of said device causingsaid first and second parts of said valve to move relative to oneanother to alter the amount of gas which will pass through the valveupon movement of said element in said one direction of movement.

6. in a gas lighter having a lighter body adapted to receive a gasreservoir therein and an expansion valve having first and second partsmovable with respect to each other, means for regulating the rate offlow of gas through said valve comprising, a flint tube adapted toreceive a flint and biasing spring therefore extending through saidreservoir and having an internally threaded end portion adjacent thebase of said reservoir, and means threadably engaged with said endportion for compressing said spring between said screw and said flintand operably engaged with said reservoir for moving said first andsecond valve parts with respect to each other to regulate the rate ofgas flowing therethrough.

7. In a gas lighter having a flint wheel and a lighter body adapted toslidably receive a gas reservoir therein having an expansion valveincluding fixed and movable parts, means for regulating the rate of flowof gas through said valve comprising, a flint tube adapted to receive aflint and a biasing spring therefore, said flint tube extending throughsaid reservoir and having an internally threaded end portion adjacentthe base of said reservoir, a screw threadably engaged with said endportion for compressing said spring and urging said flint intoengagement with said flint wheel, said screw being operably engaged withsaid reservoir for moving said reservoir and said movable valve partwith respect to said fixed valve part upon rotation of the screw toregulate the rate of gas flowing through said valve.

8. A device as defined in claim 7 wherein said screw includes a headportion operably engaged with the base of said reservoir.

9. A device as defined in claim 8 wherein said expansion I valveincludes a porous washer positioned between said mova-

1. In a gas lighter having an outer casing, a removable gas reservoirwhich is enclosed within said casing and which carries an expansionvalve including fixed and movable parts enclosing a porous washer thecompression of which is adjustable by a relative movement between saidfixed and movable parts in order to regulate the rate of flow of saidcombustible gas through said porous washer, said valve being operable topermit the passage therethrough from said reservoir of a combustible gaswhich is ignitable by sparks produced by the rubbing of a serratedsurface of a flint wheel against a flint, the improvement which consistsin a flint tube extending through said reservoir in a gastight mannerand secured to said outer casing; a spring housed within said flinttube; a flint supported by one end of said spring in such a manner as toprotrude beyond one end of said flint tube into engagement with saidflint wheel; a detachable gas lighter base and annular boss meansdefining an aperture in said base, which aperture is in register withsaid flint tube; a screw thread formed in said flint tube at the endthereof adjacent to said aperture; and a screw having an enlarged head,the diameter of which is larger than that of said aperture, said screwextending through said aperture in said base and engaging the screwthread of said flint tube not only to connect said base to the gaslighter with consequent enclosure of said reservoir but also to compresssaid spring with consequent pressure of said flint against said flintwheel, and said screw being in addition rotatable in said aperture insaid base to cause movement of said reservoir with respect to said flinttube in one of two opposite directions at a time in order to move saidmovable part of the valve with respect to said fixed part for varyingthe compression of said porous washer and thus regulating the rate offlow of said combustible gas through the opened valve and consequentlythe height of the flame.
 2. In a gas lighter as claimed in claim 1, apartition provided within said outer casing; means defining an aperturein said partition, said flint tube extending through said aperture; acollar extending radially outwardly of said flint tube, one axiallydirected face of said collar being in contact with said partition aroundsaid aperture; and a plate so shaped and apertured as to overlie saidpartition and said collar and to encircle said flint tube; whereby saidflint tube is fixed within said outer casing.
 3. In a gas lighter asclaimed in claim 2, means defining a second aperture in said plate,which second aperture is in register with said valve which is carried bysaid reservoir; said valve having a first part thereof connected to saidreservoir and a second part thereof carried by said first part, saidfirst and second parts of said valve being movable relative to oneanother; means defining a shoulder in said second aperture; a shoulderon said second part of said valve; a porous element located between saidfirst and second parts of said valve; the shoulder on said second partof the valve being in engagement with the shoulder in said secondaperture; whereby rotation of said screw to cause said movement of saidreservoir in one of two opposite directions at a time alters the degreeof compression of said porous element with resultant regulation of therate of flow of said combustible gas through the opened valve andconsequently of the height of the flame.
 4. In a gas lighter as claimedin claim 1, a dished portion of said base constituting said annular bossmeans defining said aperture in said base, said dished portion creatinga concavity in that face of the base which in use is outwardly directed,said concavity being of a circular plan configuration and a diametersuch as permits accommodation of the enlarged head of said screw saidaperture in said base being of a diameter which matches that of thescrew-threaded part of said screw; a second tube extending through andfixed in a gastight manner to said reservoir, said second tube being ofgreater inside diameter than the outside diameter of said flint tube andbeing concentric with said flint tube; an assembly consisting of aspring washer, a thrust washer and a sleeve being disposed around saidscrew-threaded part of said screw; said sleeve having at one end thereofa portion of greater outside diameter than that of the remainder of saidsleeve; said spring washer and said thrust washer encircling a part ofsaid remainder of said sleeve with the thrust washer located betweensaid portion of greater outside diameter and said spring washer; saidthrust washer being of greater outside diameter than that of saidaperture in said base; the other end of said sleeve being in contactwith said enlarged head of said screw and said portion of great diameterbeing in contact with one end of said second tube; whereby rotation ofsaid screw to increase the degree of compression of said porous elementby moving the reservoir away from said base results in compressiondeformation of said spring washer as a consequence of said enlarged headof said screw being drawn axially towards said thrust washer which isitself drawn axially inwardly of the gas lighter against saiD dishedportion of said base.
 5. A gas lighter which includes a lighter bodywhich is open at both ends, a cap hingedly mounted upon said body at oneof said ends, a base connected to said body at the other of said ends;means defining an aperture in said base; said lighter body, said cap andsaid base defining a cavity; a cavity divider dividing said cavity intotwo parts; a gas reservoir removably located in one of said two parts ofsaid cavity; an expansion valve having a first part thereof connected tosaid reservoir and having a second part thereof carried by said firstpart; said first and second parts of said valve being movable relativeto one another; said second lever-operated element movable in onedirection of movement thereof to permit the passage of gas through saidvalve from said reservoir; means in said cavity divider defining anaperture and an abutment; said second part of said valve extending intoand through said aperture and also engaging said abutment;spark-producing means including a flint and a serrated surface on aflint wheel; a flint tube and spring means therein, said spring meansacting when compressed to press said flint into engagement with saidserrated surface in the vicinity of one end of said tube; said flinttube extending through said reservoir in a gastight manner; and a singlescrew-threaded device engaged with and extending into the other end ofsaid tube and thereby connecting said base to said body and thereby alsoenclosing and maintaining said reservoir within said one of said twoparts of the cavity and thereby also compressing said spring means topress said flint against said serrated surface, rotation of said devicecausing said first and second parts of said valve to move relative toone another to alter the amount of gas which will pass through the valveupon movement of said element in said one direction of movement.
 6. In agas lighter having a lighter body adapted to receive a gas reservoirtherein and an expansion valve having first and second parts movablewith respect to each other, means for regulating the rate of flow of gasthrough said valve comprising, a flint tube adapted to receive a flintand biasing spring therefore extending through said reservoir and havingan internally threaded end portion adjacent the base of said reservoir,and means threadably engaged with said end portion for compressing saidspring between said screw and said flint and operably engaged with saidreservoir for moving said first and second valve parts with respect toeach other to regulate the rate of gas flowing therethrough.
 7. In a gaslighter having a flint wheel and a lighter body adapted to slidablyreceive a gas reservoir therein having an expansion valve includingfixed and movable parts, means for regulating the rate of flow of gasthrough said valve comprising, a flint tube adapted to receive a flintand a biasing spring therefore, said flint tube extending through saidreservoir and having an internally threaded end portion adjacent thebase of said reservoir, a screw threadably engaged with said end portionfor compressing said spring and urging said flint into engagement withsaid flint wheel, said screw being operably engaged with said reservoirfor moving said reservoir and said movable valve part with respect tosaid fixed valve part upon rotation of the screw to regulate the rate ofgas flowing through said valve.
 8. A device as defined in claim 7wherein said screw includes a head portion operably engaged with thebase of said reservoir.
 9. A device as defined in claim 8 wherein saidexpansion valve includes a porous washer positioned between said movableand fixed valve parts, whereby movement of said movable valve part withrespect to said fixed valve part varies the compression of said porouswasher to regulate the flow of gas through said valve.